


Sanctification

by MyWeirdoEyes



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Doctor - Freeform, Euthanasia, F/M, Friendship, Hunger Games, Mentions of Prostitution, Murder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Reapings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2020-11-01 22:03:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20521667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyWeirdoEyes/pseuds/MyWeirdoEyes
Summary: “Trix is dead.” Nathanael doesn’t look very shocked at her words so she struggles on.“She tried to kill you so I...neutralized her.” The words sound odd on her lips. Like it isn’t quite the right word to use.He swallows, nods.“I didn’t care for you in District 4.” He looks hurt at her admission, about to crawl in upon himself when she continues.“But I care for you now. Right now you’re my only priority and I’ll do my utmost best for you. Don’t think I’d abandon you.”After her parent's execution Aquila spends her days indifferently. Treating patients as District's 4 doctor and Annie's bright smile is what keeps her going even after what happened. So really, there isn't much of a choice when the name "Annie Cresta" is called out at the Reapings.





	1. Annie Cresta

The Doctor's girl. That's what people had called her. Now they call her the Doctor. She isn't quite yet deserving of that title. When there are no others to fill the role the title falls to her. The people don't care that she hasn't finished her studies in the district school. They don't care that she's only seventeen, at the time nine. They trusted the knowledge, handed down from parent to child. No one knows that most of the medical knowledge she possesses has been granted to her by her father's books. Not by her father himself.

Still, she thinks, as she feels the pulse beneath her fingers slow to a stop, she acts the role of a doctor quite well. The still warm body lying in its bed was that of an old woman who had been plagued by an incurable disease. Or rather, it was curable but the woman hadn't been able to buy the medicine. Aquila recognized the disease quickly, impressing even herself. But what's the use of it in cases such as these where the patient is unable to afford the medicine?

Aquila doubts the woman would have bought the medicine if she had been able to afford it either way. The price of it was so high that even Aquila, who lives rather comfortably in the higher class of the district felt incredulous at the price of it. She wouldn't have been able to pay for it. Neither had the woman been able to. Especially with a family who she wanted to leave money to. So instead of mulling over the high cost of the medicine she requested something of Aquila that the young girl was able to help with.

A peaceful death. Euthanasia is something that Aquila is able to grant every dying patient of hers for free.

The ginger stands from the chair she had been sitting on and leaves the room. She nods respectfully at the family who look at her with grief. The younger ones hold accusation in their eyes. She ignores it. They're not her problem. When they are in need of her medical assistance they would still come to her for help.

She is the only doctor in District 4 who treats both higher and lower classes equally and almost certain that she is the only doctor in all the districts that treated the poorer ones for free. Not because she has such a good heart, though she was sure that was what her mother would tell everyone who would listen if she was still alive. No, the young ginger does so to gain experience. To move through the motions she has seen her father go through so many times as a child.

She leaves the small house. Truly, it had been cramped. Three bedrooms for eight people. Now seven, she corrects herself. Maybe she's simply spoiled. Aquila has the same amount of bedrooms all to herself. But here in the poorer part it seems normal to have to share your room. At least the houses are well-kept. She remembers how sometimes when interviewing the family of the last five surviving in the arena, the houses of the surviving poorer districts children look as if they could fall apart any moment. District 12 in particular came to mind.

With one last look at the sea -the poorer part of the district was close the harbor after all- she starts the trek towards her own house. Normally she doesn't do house visits. It's annoying to be bothered for small things. It's nicer to stay in the familiar surroundings of her father's old, now hers, office. But for euthanasia she's willing to make an exception (as well for some other things where moving the patient could induce serious damage). Knowing you are going to die in a few moments is enough. Aquila while not the nicest person in the district -in fact she's far from being so- does respect the wish of such patients to die in an area familiar to them. In fact she encourages it.

There is a strange thrall in feeling a peaceful pulse grow slower and slower until it finally stops. To see the serene faces of those people in death. It's so very different from how her parents had looked. Maybe that's why she made sure to still the life in her patients softly and slowly. Not violently. Never harshly.

The dirt road beneath her feet changes into a cobble road. Bigger, more beautiful houses took the places of the smaller old ones. The perfume of flowers reaches her nose , the scents of overflowing gardens that the rich families keep all mingling together to form a sweet fresh smell. It's all too different from the lower part of the district. The harbor and houses waft the scent of the sea and fish. She likes the sea smell. The fish is okay. She doesn't appreciate it quite as much as the saltiness of the sea but the several visits she had paid her grandfather when she was younger ensured that she is able to endure the smell easily whereas most of the wealthier people make sure to steer away from the harbor unless absolutely necessarily.

The sound of feet hitting the ground in a fast rhythm draws her attention away from her musings.

"Aquila!" For a moment she hesitates. She loves Annie dearly but had been planning on studying a tome about pressure points and their potential benefits and harms. If she slows down and allows the girl to catch up with her she could be rest assured that she would not be studying. It would be another non-productive day at the hands of Annie. Decision made, she continues down the road ignoring the girl behind her.

Before she can get far another voice calls out. Lower than Annie's sweet tenors but not quite as low yet as it would surely become in the future.

"Oi! Toirneach!" With a frown she turns around. The sight of Annie and her sidekick running greets her. The sidekick's name is Nathanael Farraige. Sixteen years old, his voice is just starting to break. He's the middle child in a poor family and has a crush on Annie. As far as she knows Annie is unaware of said crush. Otherwise she can't claim to know a lot about him.

The only reason she even knows his name is because he's a frequent visitor of her. His younger brother is sick often, that in combination with his regular accompanation of Annie makes it easy for her to remember his name. She has never conversed with him out of her office. It's probably for the better. Nathanael cherishes his family a lot, regularly talking about them in this annoyed yet fond tone. Aquila isn't sure she could take that. A constant reminder to what she lost.

As far as appearances went he was okay. The girls in school giggled around him, something she knows to interpret as 'He's cute.' There is this strange boyish yet mature air around him. The only thing she can honestly say she likes about his appearance are his dark brown eyes. They match well with his black curly hair.

He's too pale though. Not unhealthy pale but for the dark eye and hair color he is pale. The hair color demands a tanned skin like the people working on the docks possess. Farraige doesn't work at the docks. She's not sure why. He just doesn't. She suspects it has something to do with the lack of a mother in the house. Truly, she isn't interested enough to ask for information.

She doesn't suspect him to be a bad person but after Annie's last few social disasters – the girl being quite the popular victim for bullies - she has a hard time leaving Annie alone with people who aren't the girl's parents.

"What is it?" She asks feeling annoyed that her studying time is being stolen right from beneath her nose. She's even more annoyed that it's entirely her own fault.

They finally catch up with her. Annie looks flushed from the running but smiles brightly at her anyways. It brings a frown to Aquila's face. The girl is of equal age with her and shouldn't be having trouble with running such a small distance. Is her asthma acting up again? Maybe she should ask Annie to come in again so she can do a checkup.

Nathanael on the other hand doesn't look all too well either. While he isn't out of breath from the running, his skin is pale and she is quite sure those are bags under his eyes. Should she invite him over as well?

"The Reapings are tomorrow. I just wanted to make sure you hadn't forgotten our yearly morning swim," said Annie smiling. Aquila had, in fact forgotten about . In fact she had all but forgotten the Reapings themselves. Annie probably knows that. The Reapings are little cause for worry since she doesn't need to put in any tesserae. The chance of her getting picked are slim.

Then again their last victor proves that sometimes a slim chance is enough. Finnick was also part of the higher class after all. A grimace appears as she thinks of him. It's been years since they've last interacted. Even now the anger hasn't left her, but there's sadness mixed in.

"I'll be there. Like always. What's he doing here?" She says with a nod towards Nathanael. The younger boy almost bristles at her tone. She probably would have too.

She ignores him. He has no relevance to her so how she acts towards him has no relevance either. It's not her problem if he feels insulted. He knows not to bother her. She does after all treat his family regularly, by now he should know her social skills and interests are zero. Not to mention that she can afford to offend people. There were perks to being the District's only doctor.

Annie decides to ignore her friend's rather rude question as instead of answering she asks a question herself.

"Mom invited you to dinner. Would you like to come?" Aquila translates that to 'I asked mom if I could bring you for dinner.'

Aquila cocks her head showing she's considering the offer. She hasn't eaten yet today and it was likely that if she refuses Annie's offer she isn't going to. She's rich enough to afford food of good quality but tends to forget her body's needs when her mind is busy being fed the knowledge of her parents books. Her body would thank her for accepting the older girl's offer.

"Sure." She thus says. Nathanael huffs. Probably offended by the way she treats Annie's offer. Seems like Annie wasn't the only one to have an annoying crush at sixteen years old. She doubts that Farraige is going to have any luck.

"Great! We're eating meat today." The brunette says in a cheerful voice. Aquila blinks at this information. Meat of any kind is rare in District 4. And thus expensive. While still richer than most, Annie's family isn't exactly well off. In fact the ginger is quite sure the Cresta family is no longer considered part of the higher class for a few years now.

"How come?" She asks her curiosity overtaking any sense of manners she normally displays towards her only friend.

Annie's cheer dims slightly. "We always eat meat the day before the Reapings. In case I get picked. " Nathanael's face grows somber. Aquila wonders idly if it's caused by the idea of Annie getting picked or his own worries over his younger brother. She can understand his worries. Keshet was a real sweetheart. Rainbow. His name meant rainbow.

She remembers because the boy had once come for an ointment for rope burn. As a way of repaying her he had ironically given an admittedly beautiful piece of tied rope. She hadn't even known one could do such thing with rope. What had been really special was that the rope had been dyed in the colors of the rainbow. The boy had explained that it was because his name meant rainbow. This way she would be able to tell which gift was his, he had said.

The boy helps his family by making complex knots for whichever ship needed them. Even though his health has its weak moments Aquila thinks that he's highly capable. She has inquired with the boy's father once if he would be interested in learning medicine. The man had been quite clear in his refusal. It is unlikely that Nathanael is worrying about himself as a boy his age ought to do. Instead Farriage is one of those disgustingly sweet types that care more about other people than themselves. Aquila has nicknamed such people 'The Selfishly Unselfish'. She scowls at the thought of them. Her dad had been like that.

Farraige still has three Reapings left to go. Aquila two. After tomorrow only one. Annie on the other hand would be free from the fear of the Reapings after tomorrow. Aquila looks forward to the moment another girl's name would leave the announcer's mouth, setting Annie free from the Capitol's most ruthless threat. Annie is the only person she has.

Knowing that something so precious to her would be safe would be a relief to her. Would allow her to breathe easier. For the clear oxygen to reach her lungs once again.

Annie wasn't truly necessary for Aquila. She isn't like the food that people gifted Aquila with. She isn't like the liquids that Aquila so often forgot to drink. She isn't something Aquila's body desperately craves. But somewhere along the line the cheery girl's constant presence has started to affect her mind. Has made her content instead of just emptily studying the world around her.

She knows the older girl would continue to stick to her side no matter what way Annie would continue through her life. Aquila simply knows that even when Annie was married and had little toddlers to worry about she'd still come and bug Aquila to eat something with her. They would still go out for a swim sometime. She doesn't know what makes her so sure of that but that's the way it is.

"Doctor! Doctor!" From behind Annie and Nathanael, a small boy appears, running up the hill. Huffing and puffing he skids to a stop before the trio.

"What's wrong?" Aquila asks, a sense of worry creeping in her voice she would later vehemently deny existing.

"Alen…Alen – is , He hasn't come…up yet. Odair dove in after him. I came to get you. " The kid heaves out. Alen, Alen,Alen…..Aquila tears through her mind trying to connect the name with a face and identity. Alen,Alen….Alen is a boy of fourteen years old. A pearl diver. Why did the kid get her? Why not one of the adult closer by? No, it's midday. People are either out on the sea or have retreated home for an hour. But then why had Alen been diving? No matter.

"Let's go." She says to the kid.

The kid taking the hint takes off in a sprint again. She follows and if the situation wasn't so dire Aquila might have said she enjoyed the wind whipping into her face. The two rush past the same houses Aquila had just minutes ago walked by.

Here and there people poke their head out the window as they see the two forms speeding by, immediately recognizing the ginger waves of their doctor. Some follow in a slower pace but neither of the youngsters take notice of it.

The area the ten year old was leading her to only has one diving point in its vicinity, that combined with a blond head breaking through the water is enough to send Aquila spiraling ahead of the boy, onto the pier. Finnick apparently having expected reinforcements shouts at her.

"There's a bull shark! The kiddo passed out but I can't retrieve him."

Knowing that that was enough information he once again ducks beneath the waters. With a big leap that transforms into a well-cultivated dive Aquila also disappears into the waves. Normally she takes the time to be awed by the beauty that the underwater scenery existed of but now she didn't have that sort of time. She ignores the way her dress constricts around her. It isn't difficult to find her objective.

The body of Alen is floating in the water surprisingly close to some corals. The bull shark however is only a few meters further and is eying both Finnick and Aquila and the body as a possible threat.

Theoretically she should get Alen and leave the shark to Finnick. But logic also demands that would be simply cruel as Finnick is unarmed. Unlike her. Thus with a nod towards the boy Aquila swims towards the shark. She pulls out her scalpel that has been nestled comfortably in her bra. That was enough for the bull shark. It attacks head on.

But this isn't her first confrontation with the dangers of the sea creatures that district 4 houses and with the advice from experienced sailors and divers in mind –including her grandfather who himself had once had a confrontation with a shark- she aims right for what she knows to be one of a sharks vulnerable spots.

The scalpel neatly slices through the skin, immediately releasing blood into the sea before it finally sinks into Aquila's target. The eye.

She loses her grip on the scalpel as the shark rips itself away from her and rushes towards deeper waters. The scalpel falls onto the seafloor. She eyes it for a moment before swimming upwards ignoring its pretty shine. When she breaks through the water Finnick is already trying to get the water out of the boy's lungs. A few people are standing around them. She pulls herself onto the pier.

Just as she is about to push Finnick aside to take over, the boy beneath them regains conscious and chokes out the water in his lungs. He immediately turns to his side trying to get all the water out. Aquila lets out as small sigh. The boy seems healthy enough but she should probably do some further investigations. She beckons the boy who has gotten her and tells him to escort Alen to her office. The small crowd that had gathered parts for the two boys and with a fierce glare from Aquila, disperses.

Silently she nods at Finnick. It is as far in expressing gratitude to him as she is willing to go for him. Then instead of heading towards her office she turns around and once more dives into the water much to the surprise of Finnick. Her scalpel hasn't moved much from where it descended to the seafloor and with a few powerful movements of her legs and arms she manages to retrieve it. A fish swims past her head. She smiles, a few bubbles escaping from her lips. With a last mournful look at the beautiful underwater scenery, she slowly pushes off in the sand.

When her head once again breaks through the surface it is to the watchful gaze of Odair. He offers her a hand up. She ignores it just as she ignores the soaking wet dress plastered to her body. Odair as the gentlemen he is ignores it as well. When she finally manages her way up unto the pier, she tries to wring the water from her hair.

The man shakes his head at her.

"Don't you think it's about time you got over it? We used to get along so well."

They hadn't. She still remembers kicking him where it hurts when he had scolded her as an 8-years old. The only time they had really gotten along was for a few weeks after her parents died.

"We were children back then."

Odair laughs at her words.

"You still are a child, dear."

She ignores him and carefully puts the scalpel back into her bra, making sure to nestle it in such a way it is impossible for it to cut her.

"Tomorrow will be your friend's last reaping won't it?"

Aquila looks up when he says that.

"Yes. It will be."

Before the words have even managed to fully leave her mouth, her lips have already turned up at the mention.

"What is her name again? Ann?" She bristles.

"Annie. Annie Cresta."

Odair nods. He smiles reassuringly at her.

"I'm sure she won't be picked."

For a moment she is left in surprise. Why would he say that to her? Surely she doesn't look like one of those complete fools who care more about others than themselves? Because in that case Odair was in for a surprise. No matter. She'll leave the fool to his delusions. She just shakes her head at him and leaves towards her office.

There is no such thing as a day off for someone like her. No, that's a lie. She has one foolproof day off in the year. That day was tomorrow. No one would dare to interrupt the Reapings no matter the severeness of the injury. Well, that's not completely true. Last year she had been allowed leave since the mayor's wife was had been struck with a severe illness. Aquila is just relieved that she was allowed to treat patients instead of being forced to watch the horror games. Ah, she means Hunger Games. Her mistake.

When she finally returns to the large towering house she calls her home, she enters the house hoping Alen is already there. She always leaves the door unlocked. She trusts that the thieves -if there were any, what with the punishments the peacekeepers have been installing lately- had enough brains to realize that stealing from the only capable and fair doctor in the district might not be their smartest move. Until now, that trust had been rewarded.

The hallway allows for three options. The stairs, heading straight ahead or turning left. She turns left, the familiar smell of sterile cleaning fluids greeting her nose. With the blood her people sometimes spill in the waiting room such measures were necessary.

The waiting room holds six chairs, there's some rope to make knots with in case you're bored and Aquila has told people to bring old reading stuff they don't want any more to her for use in the waiting room. After letting Annie make a careful selection of what is appropriate and what isn't the people who need to wait now also have reading materials. She ignores the light colored wooden walls and continues through the door to her office.

Once she enters the office she walks past the bureau she likes to nestle herself behind and heads straight to her examination room. There the sight of Alen and Kai -the boy who had retrieved her- meets her eyes.

After a quick check-up which reveals the boy to be perfectly fine- she lets them go, but not before reminding Alen that if anything comes up to immediately fetch her. Kai nods more strongly than Alen but it's enough for Aquila. She allows them to leave.

Doubting that anyone else will need her for the day she strips herself of wet clothes, not bothering with redressing. She returns to the hallway this time going straight ahead. A clock on the wall tells her that she has missed the dinner at Annie's place. She doesn't really feel hungry though. Still, it was best to eat anyway.

Retrieving the dish one of her patients have given her in thanks, she sits down on the table and stabs her fork into it. Aquila likes sitting on the table. It put her on the perfect eye height for an amazing overview of district 4. Once she finishes, she heads up to bed. It had been a somewhat tiring day and tomorrow she'll have to wake early if she wants to make it to her swim with Annie.

The morning breaches together with Aquila's waking moment. When she looks out of her window a beautiful vision greets her. Aquila enjoys such beauty. She always has. It's one of the few things she has retained from the innocence of youth. Her appreciation for beauty. That and her temper. But people generally seem to favor the first trait she mentioned.

Annie and her meet an hour after sunrise. Then they will swim an hour and after that they will be forced to attend the Reapings. That's the way it always goes. Would it change after this reaping? Annie won't be at risk anymore, after all. Maybe she won't need the calming sensations of the sea anymore. That would be okay.

Aquila could continue her habit without Annie if so necessary. Though she would prefer if it wasn't necessary. She carefully chooses her swimming attire, donning a shirt with patterns and shorts over it. In a bag she puts a towel, brush and a formal dress. She will need to change in it after swimming. She leaves her room and enters the old one from her parents. Opening the closet there she retrieves a pair of high heels hidden away in the corner of it. She admires the white shoes with the lace details and ribbons. These are the shoes her mother wore when she was married to her father. It was the only pair of 'proper' shoes in the house that are suitable for the Reaping. Aquila has worn them to the reapings since the shoes had fitted her. This is the fourth year she would be wearing them. She puts them in her bag.

Afterwards she heads downstairs. Food. What kind of food does she have? Fruit? Good enough. She drops an apple in the bag before slinging it over her shoulder and grabbing a peach for the road. Two sandal are tied around her feet and she leaves the house. She takes a bite of the peach savoring the sweetness.

The sky is completely clear, not a cloud to be seen. Will it remain so? She certainly hopes so.

The Reapings are already gloomy enough without rain clouds. Though she denies being affected by such things. But if she is to be honest with herself she would admit that things such as the weather could make an impact on her. Aquila isn't above the rules of the human psyche even if she likes to pretend so. It was basic psychology for weather to impact your mood, she read it in one of her mother books. Yes, In one of her mother's books. Not one of her dad's.

While her father had always been interested in the health of the body, her mother had been interested in the health of the mind. Aquila had been surprised by this discovery when she first went through her mother's belongings after her death. Her mother seldomly left the house. She preferred to dote on her man and teach her daughter.

Then again maybe it was to be expected. Her mother had always known just what to say, something Aquila hadn't learned from her. Not from lack of trying on her mother's part. Aquila simply hadn't been interested. Still wasn't really. She read all her mother books on psychology though. It is an interesting subject. In the end it hadn't changed the way she treats her patients though. She is still indifferent. Not that they seem to realize such.

There had sometimes been people standing at the door. They always looked perfectly healthy but ….not quite. When Aquila asked them their purpose they had always answered they were there to see the girl's mother.

She has reached the beach. The location where they swim was pretty different from the pier from yesterday or the haven. The water was kept by a wall of cliffs inside a sort of circle. A small opening allowed the water to be carried in and out. Aquila liked the place because the gap is too small for most predators to slip in yet it is deep enough to provide some safety if they decide to dive from one of the cliffs.

A rope has been tied especially for that purpose to the cliff which had been suited the most for such endeavors. Annie isn't here yet. That is unsurprising. The girl often oversleeps. Aquila finishes the peach. Annie's figure appears in the distance. The girl's reaping dress doesn't look much different from her normal dresses. The main difference is that it's white. Like a sacrifice.

Annie greets her happily. The two girl's soon enter the water, enjoying the calming feel of soft waves crashing against their bodies. Aquila has never seen the other districts except for a glimpse here and there with the interviews and Reapings, but she's sure that District 4 with its bountiful sea will always be the most beautiful for her.

She has grown up in constant presence of the sea. Has seen the amount of food it provides district 4 with and has seen how many lives it has claimed. The sea is a cruel mistress. But she is constant. The sea will never disappear from her life, simply because it is unable to do so. She enjoys that secureness.

Annie is diving. Probably looking for shells. The girl's mother often makes jewelry out of them.

Aquila swims towards the rocks from which the rope dangles. She pulls her body up, enjoying the slight burn it causes in her upper arms. Careful with placement of her feet -she doesn't want any cuts- she climbs the rocks. After a minute she stands atop of it. It isn't very tall. Only five metres, but she enjoys the rush of adrenaline she will get from jumping off it anyway.

The platform she's standing on is small and mostly covered with slippery moss but she is able to take a few steps back. She takes a leap and dives. There it is, that pure energy surging through her veins. This was life. In these moments she feels her body being filled with more vigor than should be possible. She opens the eyes that had closed by reflex. A few fish swim quickly out of her diving path. Air bubbles escaped from her mouth as she laughs at the sight. She touches the rocky ground with her hand.

Turning her body again she powerfully kicks off on the ocean floor. She shoots up. She sees Annie searching the sandy floors a good few meters away from her. Her gaze turns upwards again as she propels herself upwards. She breaks the water surface. Oxygen immediately fills her lungs as she takes a deep breath. This is great. A few seconds later Annie's head appears besides her. The girl proudly shows off a few shells she found.

They continue swimming for some time before finally pulling themselves ashore. The sand clings to their feet. Aquila digs them in properly. Eating the apple she has in her bag she watches the sea before finally toweling herself off. She strips away the swimming garments leaving herself naked. There is little modesty between friends in District 4. Probably because most of the free time is spent swimming half-naked, if not naked.

She pulls out the underwear and dress she put in the bag before. Quickly slipping them on, she starts brushing her hair so it wouldn't tangle. Her hair structure is somewhere between wavy and curly and can produce quite painful tangles. The seawater doesn't help. When she finishes combing, her hair is without any tangles. Satisfied she puts away the brush.

Annie seems to be struggling with her dress. Should she offer help? There's still some time left. Annie will probably figure it out herself. It's her dress after all. Aquila lays down on the beach for a few minutes. She enjoys the sun's beam on her face until it is hidden away behind clouds. With a sigh she stands and dusts off her dress. Annie is still struggling. She beckons the girl closer to her. Carefully she laces the dress back up. How had Annie gotten out of the dress in the first place? Aquila's own dress doesn't have any lace or zippers. You just have to simply to slip it on. Now after helping Annie with her dress she is more grateful for that than ever.

The girls start their trek back. Neither speaks. Annie hums a song though, Aquila doesn't recognize it but it is pretty. They quickly reach the first few houses. They stop there to allow Aquila to put her heels on now that the road is paved again. After a short climb the girls stand before the center of their district. There is already a large crowd.

Aquila's emotions are distant and she often has trouble understanding them, let alone understanding others their feelings. But even she realizes that the uncomfortable feeling in the air is caused by fear and anxiety.

With a wan smile Annie leaves towards her age group. Aquila shakes her head at the girl. An eternal pessimist, that one. With that thought Aquila heads towards her own age group. She is acquainted with all of them but friends with none. This is to be expected. The only time she ever sees people her own age is when they are in need of medical assistance or on the rare occasions the red-head bothers with school. The education there is far below her standard. Aquila has been taught most of it by her mother and the woman died when Aquila was ten. That says enough of the quality of the school. She still has to show up a few times though. Mostly for tests.

Besides, the school is able to request medical texts for her from the Capitol. That makes up for most of the mind droning torture she has to withstand in the school. The girl next to her smiles at her in greeting. She returns it with a nod. The escort of District 4 has already made his way up the stage. She doesn't recognize him. Is he new or had he been there the year before too? It isn't important as far as she's concerned. Hey eyes would only fall upon him once a year. No matter how outstanding Aquila's memory is, she can use it for better purposes than remembering the names of useless people.

She is pretty sure the previous escort had been older. This one looks like he is barely twenty. His nervous behavior only strengthened that belief. He has to have some pretty good connections to get District 4 straight of the bat. Thus the better for the chosen ones, she supposes. Two bowls stand upon the stage, one holding the names of the girls, the other the names of the boys. It is strange, Aquila muses. The Capitol is hardly destitute, surely they have a better method to pick tributes than this? Then again, in its old fashioned ways it has something theatrical. Which is probably what the Capitol is going for.

The previous victors who are to be mentors these games sit on chairs on the stage. Finnick and Mags again. They aren't the only victors District 4 has. They are however the only ones who mentor. Aquila doesn't know why that is. She rarely sees the other victors as they don't work and thus have a lot less chance to get injured or sick. The only other female victor died last year from hypothermia. She'd only been in her twenties. Her friends had been too late to call Aquila. She could have helped the woman if they found her earlier. They didn't though and that wasn't her problem. She can't help people who don't ask for it. There's no magical sickness radar on her. There's still two other male victors alive. One of them is addicted. Every now and then she gets called in upon his behalf. Aquila doesn't mind. She prices the victors heftily for her services as they are quite rich. Oh. She zoned out. The new guy finished his speech. That means she missed his name. Well, it isn't like she is going to need to know it anyway so no matter. Unlike Annie who is pretty pessimistic Aquila is pretty sure she wouldn't be picked. There's so many names in there. The chances of her name being picked are so minuscule they aren't even worth mentioning. She hums the melody Annie had been humming before. It stuck.

"I will now pick the female tribute."

It would be nice if they would this without all of the drawn out tension. She has two books she would like to finish reading by this evening. The escort finally - after rummaging for at least a minute in that goddamn bowl - picks a piece of paper. He coughs to clear his throat. Aquila is pretty sure he coughed to make it more dramatical. She can practically hear the drum roll in the background. A sigh escapes from her lips. So much time lost. Their escort calls the name. She stiffens. She had been right. Her name wasn't called. She feels the corners of her eyes grow wet. She wonders why. Their escort repeats the name.

"Annie Cresta?"

It's easy to find Annie in the crowd. All heads are turned to her. The girl seems to have problems believing it as well. Why isn't anybody volunteering? Oh. Right. They rarely do that anymore, do they? Volunteering. Why would they for someone like Annie who was bullied all throughout her school years? Annie regains her composure. She's going to step forward, Aquila realizes. Annie is going to climb that stage. Annie is going to enter the games. Annie is going to die.


	2. Chapter 2

Aquila acts before her brain can fully catch up with her. It’s been slowed down by shock. Slowly her arm rises.

"I volunteer."

The crowd who’d been watching Annie turns to her. They do so slowly. At the same speed Aquila's arm had rose into the air. They seem to be as shocked by her actions as she herself is. No surprise there. Aquila isn’t known for being self-sacrificing. It wasn’t in her nature. In the end this is a selfish action. Aquila has grown to live in Annie's presence. Letting Annie enter the games would have been a worse form of suicide than this is.

It seems Odair had been right after all. She is one of those fools who care more about other people than themselves. The escort on the stage smiles brightly at her. He seems more in his element now. Less nervous. That’s great for him, she supposes. "That's lovely! Come right up on the stage." She moves forwards, ignoring Annie's searching looks and Odair's heavy gaze. The crowd parts for her like they always have. Is it odd that they do that? Probably, she now realizes. Is she that fearsome? She isn't sure.

She steps onto the stage. The escort's smile seems to light even more now that she is standing right before him.

"My, District 4 has such a pretty tribute this time. I'm sure the Capitol will like you. A good thing a beautiful one like you volunteered. Tell us your name?"

How shallow. She answers, her voice monotone.

"Aquila Toirneach."

He laughs.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl. A round of applause for Aquila Toirneach!"

Nobody applauds. Aquila isn’t sure if it is because they are still shocked by her actions or if it is because they are trying to digest the fact that they just lost their freebie doctor. The guy waves for her to come stand by his side. Will he reintroduce himself later? She hopes so.

"Then now for the male tribute."

He sounds so excited. The last time Aquila remembers being even remotely close to being as excited as this guy was when her grandpa told her he would show her the dolphins. She eyes the man's hand. It’s rustling through the papers in the bowl. Can she call him a man? He seems to be teetering on the edge of boyhood and manhood. She allows her mind to drift off again.

How will the District handle itself now? She’s the only active healer. Lucas- A retired doctor who’s somewhere in his sixties - might come back from retirement and take an apprentice but in the end he only treats those able to afford it. Her house will probably end up being raided in a few weeks time for the medical supplies.

Will they take any other stuff as well? They might. But it’s unlikely. They would at the very least wait until she dies before doing so. At least she likes to think so. She is a respected member of her society. Not necessarily liked by everyone but respected well enough either way. She has done too much for the District to be disrespected in such a way.

Sure, she has never gone out of her way to make friends but she has never gone out of her way to make enemies either. Her house will be treated with the respect it deserves. It housed three of its district most honored members. Three doctors. Two of them died young. Is she, as the last remaining member, going to face the same fate? It sure seems so. The escort speaks up again. The dwelling inside her mind is put to a halt for the sake of hearing the name of her unlucky partner in this terrible fate. Cue the drama.

"Aaaand the male tribute for District 4 this year is...Nathanael Farraige. "

Not a second after the man finishes his sentence a horrible wailing sound commences. Aquila feels ill to her stomach at the sound of it. That’s Keshet. The boy capable of making the most beautiful knots. The boy's who's older brother's name has just been called. He’s only eleven. The boy next to him is rubbing his arm in a mixed attempt of consoling and calming down. Nathanael looks as sick as Aquila feels at the sound of his brother's cries. There is no option. He can’t turn around. Can’t run to his brother and wrap the small frame into the arms of a larger one.

He is already moving towards the stage. Aquila somehow feels worse when he is actually standing next to her. She put her hand on his shoulder and gives it a soft squeeze.

"Well, now talk about lucky. It seems you're a pretty one as well, Farraige. Applause, please." A few people reacted this time around. Aquila is quite sure this is the first time their district is so unenthusiastic at the reapings. She can see why. They lose their doctor and witness an already torn up family get ripped apart even further. Not even District 4 with their eternal cheer can bring up enthusiasm for this. It seems to have brought down their escort's mood. That isn’t really her problem, now is it?

"We'll be heading towards the Capitol, where soon you'll be able to see your tributes fight for the honor of being this year's prestigious victor. May the odds be ever in your favor."

With those words he disappears from the stage. Aquila hops off as well knowing that if she doesn’t a peacekeeper would be dragging her off. Like they are doing with Farraige. The Mayor's office is in the center of the town. Aquila used to find it odd since his house is in the upper area of town. For events like these however the location is quite fortunate. She wouldn't have the zeal to walk that far in current circumstances.

They lead her into a private room.

"Please wait here."

A peacekeeper says to her before closing the door on her. She just barely manages to catch sight of Nathanael being pushed into a room himself. How he would manage? Likely torturing himself mentally. Nathanael is the type for to do that.

Aquila doesn’t see why one would bother. It’s without purpose. No matter how many time he tortures himself mentally his situation wouldn't be fixed. It’s sad, but also the truth. Aquila vaguely remembers the mother of the family having died years ago. It was after her own parents had died but before she took the position of doctor. She remembers the woman visiting her father occasionally. She had been terminally ill.

Aquila can’t remember the disease but she remembers how the woman once suddenly coughed up blood during one of her appointments. Aquila's father had sent her out of the room. It’s probably the reason why she could recall it so clearly. Her father had rarely demanded her leave from his office. She sits down on the couch. It’s directly next to the window. She opens it.

The salty smell of the sea and the sound of seagulls crying crashes against her. This will be one of the last times she can experience that smell and sound. She’ll miss it. The sound of the door creaking open reaches her ears. She doesn’t turn around. The person doesn’t say anything either. Silently they walk over to stand behind her. A small hand comes to rest on her shoulder. They don’t speak. Aquila finally turns around.

Annie stood before her. There are tears in her eyes. Aquila can feel herself softening and silently opens her arms, inviting the girl before her to seek comfort in them. She does. Annie falls to the ground, her arms gliding around Aquila and holding her close. The tears in roll down her cheeks. Sobs tear through her frame. Aquila just holds her close. This will be the last time as well, won’t it? She ignores the way her eyes seem to be growing wet and blinks rapidly.

"Why?"

It was only one word but it’s enough. Aquila can’t answer her friend. Not because she doesn’t know the answer. She knows. She can’t answer because she can’t admit it. Not aloud. She can’t admit that she had grown to rely so heavily on another's presence. On another's life. Her pride is all she has left. She can’t let it scatter like this.

So she simply shakes her head. Annie seems ready to demand an answer but then a peacekeeper enters and her chance is gone . Annie casts a desperate look at Aquila as she is forcefully escorted out of the room. Ah. The wetness is coming back. Blinking doesn't seem to be helping this time. She looks out of the window once again, ignoring the wet trails that are being created on her cheeks.

Another person enters the room. Aquila subtly rubs her eyes. She hadn't expected anyone else. She turns around. Blinks. Before her stand Nathanael's father and oldest brother. Why would they be here? Mazin's - Nathanael older brother - eyes are red. Haul - his father - simply looks tired.

"We wanted to ask you not to harm Nathanael. We won't presume to ask you to help him. It would be utterly rude of us to do so since it would mean pushing your life aside for his. However please try to be there for him in the capitol. May the odds be ever in your favor."

He smiles bitterly as he says it. The father and son pair make to leave the room. Her words stops them.

"Why should I help you?" The man seems strangely relieved by her response.

"I know you won't do it for nothing. It isn't in your character. It wasn't in your mother's either. "

She narrows her eyes at him.

"If you do it we'll keep your house safe for you. In case of your death we'll help to make sure the girl gets it. In case of your survival I'll…give you my son as an apprentice." Aquila's eyebrows flew up at that.

"We're talking about Keshet here, right?" The man nods, his back stiff and lips pressed together. Aquila had expressed an interest in the boy before. He is bright. He’ll be able to grasp whatever she teaches him. But that isn’t the only reason why she has been taken with the boy. Keshet reminds Aquila of her father. He has the same bright eyed innocence and a cheery disposition.

"Alright. I'll help your son. You can allow the people to take whatever medical supplements that they need. If they desire so they can help themselves to the food that is left in the house. Also….In case of my death I'll gift my books to your son. Make sure he reads them if it happens so. In return I'll help Nathanael to the best of my abilities. I also won't turn on him in the arena unless he attacks first. Agreed?"

The man nods looking both pained and relieved.

"Agreed, it's more than I could have asked for."

The two men nod their goodbyes and leave the room. Maybe that was why they had been without Keshet. They didn't want him to hear how they traded him away.

The next pair isn’t expected but she really should have expected them nonetheless.

"Mrs. and Mr. Cresta."

They look happy. Delighted even. Mrs. Cresta's eyes are red but there’s a smile on her face. The same goes for Mr. Cresta. Aquila doesn’t blame them. This was Annie's last year. She is forever safe now.

"We wanted to thank you. You have no idea how thankful we are to you."

A huff escapes her.

"I didn't do it for you."

The woman shakes her head.

"We know but we wanted to thank you anyway."

They leave as silently as they came.

She wonders if that is all. Probably. She hums to herself.

So goes the last day of Aquila Toirneach in District 4. She closes her eyes and lays back on the couch, simply listening to the sound of the sea. When a peacekeeper finally comes to get her, they drag her towards the station. There Mags is waiting for her. She doesn’t see Nathanael. Mags beckons for the girl to follow her as she slowly enters a wagon.

With a last look to the district laying behind her, Aquila hops on. Mags smiles at her. Aquila doesn’t return the smile. She likes the woman. Has liked her ever since her visits, but it feels wrong to smile. Another reason why she likes Annie. She’s the only one to pull such expressions from her without her even having to try.

The wagon is different from what Aquila had expected. The trains described in books sounded so different. It really goes to show the age of those books. There is a table in the middle of the space, absolutely loaded with food. Nathanael is already seated.

That’s why she didn’t see him on the platform. He already entered the train by the time she arrived there. He’s staring at the dinnerware, back bent and shoulders slumped. Absolutely miserable. One of her mother's book said that emotional suffering only lasts 12 minutes. Any more would be self-inflicted. This probably wasn't the right moment to tell him that. His father asked for her support so she’ll grant him respite for now. 

There are large windows giving a stunning view of their surroundings. She might even be able to see the sea when the train makes its way out of the station. That would be nice. Next to the windows are benches with cushions. Odair lays on the left side of the wagon, his face covered by his arms. They haven’t even left yet but he already seems ready to give up.

Is it truly so bad to be a mentor? She’ll get to see soon enough. Maybe that’s the reason why he sleeps around with so many women in the Capitol. To forget about his duties. He wouldn't be the first to use such methods. It’s better than what the morphlings do.

She remembers the victor back in District 4. How are things going to play out now for him when there is no one to intervene when he once again overdoses? Aquila expects that they’ll lose another Victor soon enough. Then the number of female and male victors will almost be evened out. 

The escort, the only one who has been missing from the company, appears from one of the doors aligning the pointsides of the wagon. He moves with less grandeur than Aquila would have expected. Instead he smiles almost shyly at them. She wonders which façade is the real one. This shy, insecure looking person or the confident stage master from before. Maybe both. Such people exist. Who transform the moment they have all attention on them. Aquila appreciates the potential of those people.

"My name is Vasil Gloze as I'm sure you heard before. I'll be guiding you along until you step into the Arena. I hope we shall all get along."

Nathanael doesn’t seem to even register the words and simply continues looking down. Their escort looks unsure of himself.

It’s lucky for Aquila that he reintroduced himself. While she isn’t sure of how much use Vasil will be she knows that her escort will play an essential part in her survival. Not knowing his name could have immediately put her in his disdain. Aquila wants to survive. She knows her odds are small but she isn’t going to diminish them even further. Acting on this knowledge she manages to plaster a smile on her face.

"It's nice to meet you Vasil. I'm sure we'll get along just fine. As you already know I'm Aquila Toirneach and that there is Nathanael. Don't mind him. He's just sad he had to leave his family behind. " The boy perks up at her response. So innocent.

"Oh, I get why he's sad. Leaving family behind is never a happy thing."

Nathanael snorts at that. He finally looks up and from the look on his face is about to give a nasty response to Vasil's words. Aquila beats him to it.

"Yes, Nathanael has always been such a family boy. Right, Nathanael?"

She says, smiling threateningly at her district partner. The boy looks like he swallowed a lemon.

"Right."

Odair makes a strange sound from his corner of the room. It sounds suspiciously much like covered up laughter. When Aquila turns to him she sees that he put his legs back on the ground. His arms are at his sides and the smile he shines them looks easy on his face. She wonders if it is in fact an easy smile.

"Let's eat." He says.

Farraige sends him a grateful look. Mags looks slightly uncomfortable with the strained atmosphere but eventually just sits down. Aquila hums her agreement. It’s been a while since she ate that apple. Just as her hand reaches for a chair Finnick pulls it out for her. He shoots her a charming smile, eyes sparkling. She resists the urge to sod him in the face.

Instead she acknowledges the gesture with a nod. Just like Vasil would be imperative for her survival, so would Odair be. She’s willing to suppress her dislike for him for her own sake. Really it’s stupid that she still felt it such a long time after his misdeed but it seems that she is unable to find it in herself to forgive him. She sits down and slides herself underneath the table. The blond man seems to be surprised by her lack of commentary on his act. Then understanding dawns on his face. Vasil smiles at Odair.

"Wow Finnick, such a gentleman. No wonder you're so popular with the ladies in the Capitol."

Her eyes, which had already been resting on Finnick, widen at the distressed look that briefly appears on his face before being replaced with a cold, hard look. Her eyes swerve to Vasil's face. It’s only for a second but she’s certain it’s not just her imagination. There had been a look of vindictive pleasure on his face. What’s the story here? No matter. At least not for now. 


	3. Chapter 3

She looks towards Odair.

"So how is this going to go?"

He looks grateful for the distraction. If later anyone asks if she had done so with his relief in mind she’ll deny it vehemently. The cold hard look disappears from his face and is replaced by a bright smile.

"We'll arrive at the Capitol, once there you'll be whisked off to your stylist's. I'm sure they'll already have battled out who gets who but you'll end up either with Magnolia or Rayel. They're both quite pleasant and talented. In that way you can be quite thankful. Once you have done the chariots you'll be allowed to retreat to where you'll be staying in the Capitol. We're on the 4th floor. You'll spend a week or so training after that you'll be judged by a jury. Once you have your scores the interviews will come. Soon after you'll be in the games fighting for your lives."

He says it all with a smile. She has to respect him for that. And wonder if all the years of mentoring are getting to his head. She can imagine such things happening after seeing countless of your charges die.

"I was already vaguely aware of that, rather I was referring to how this mentoring thing is going to work."

His lips form an o.

"Me and Mags work together when mentoring. You'll get the full load of both of us. The only question is whether you guys want to be mentored together or separately. "

Nathanael speaks up before she could get a word in.

"Separately please."

She cocks her head at him.

"Why?"

The boy looks both startled and affronted by her question. He doesn’t get the time to answer though. Finnick speaks up.

"Aquila do you wish to work together?"

She considers the question but in the end it’s Mags who speaks.

"Naturally she would work together. The careers always work together."

That’s true. The careers do always work together. But that means nothing to Aquila. If anything habits and traditions were bothersome things that hinder progress. The real question here is if Aquila will be able to function in a group. She won’t. Finnick knows that. That's why he questioned her.

Aquila has always been a social pariah. Respected but an outcast either way. Isn’t that always the case with people who were orphaned the same way she was? Aquila’s intelligent but she’s also stubborn. Her physical condition will likely also be weaker than that of most the careers.

This will put her low on the rank order. Her opinions won’t be respected and neither will she herself be if she were to go with the careers. Going with the careers will work against her. Her strengths will become useless if she works with them. That immediately makes everyone from the career districts useless.

"No, I wish to work separately."

Mags turns to her with surprise while Finnick looks knowingly at her..

"I expected so. In that case Mags and I will divide our times between the two of you."

Nathanael frowns.

"What if I only want to be coached by one of you." Finnick returns the frown.

"Mags is a perfectly capable coach even if she might not look like one and –" Nathanael interrupts him.

"I do want Mags as a mentor. I just don't want you." Finnick looks baffled at the response.

"Oh," he said, "Now that's a first." He chuckles. Aquila snorts. She didn’t expect Nathanael to be this childish. Sure Annie has a crush on Finnick. But chances are he’s never going to see Annie again and his current attitude only diminish those chances further. Haul damn better guard her house really well. Still she’s not above manipulating a situation to make sure Haul gets his end of the deal even if Nathanael might not thank her for it.

She frowns, playing up her emotions.

"But why wouldn't you want Finnick to be your mentor? He has a really good reputation as Victor. I'm sure you'd improve under him."

The boy ignores her. It’s lucky for her that Mags seems to have the same line of thought as her. Hmmm, next time she tries to manipulate a situation to her hand she should take into account the people in said scene.

"She's quite right, boy. What would your reasons be?" Nathanael turns red as a lobster. It seems he’s quite aware that his reasons are childish. It comes as no surprise to Aquila when he doesn’t answer. Mags sighs.

"If you have no reason in particular then I suggest you work with the both of us. Finnick and I both bring different things to the table. Finnick has a lot more physical and weapon skills then I do. Surely you're as boy more interested in that then the creation of fish hooks and baskets I have to teach."

The boy shakes his head vehemently.

"If it's weapons then Aquila should work with him. She's always waving that scalpel around anyway. Everyone is terrified of it."

Oh. So that's why people parted ways so easily for her. It’s actually quite logical. Why hadn't she realized that it might be the reason for populace’s general avoidance of her outside her office? Nathanael speaks again, though this time his voice has a defeated tone to it.

"Besides, I've never worked on the docks or in the harbor. I've no physical skills to speak of."

Aquila bites her lip. He’s right. Their chances are small. She’s after all in the same situation as he is. Her job didn't exactly require a lot of movement or great strength. The only thing her body has going for it is strong health and quick reflexes.

Still, giving up before they had even started seemed just as stupid. Her mother would kill her if she was there to see. Her father would simply look on disappointed. She leans forward squeezing Nathanael's hand. The boy looks startled at the gesture. She isn’t sure if it’s just the gesture itself or because she’s the one who did it. She ignores Vasil's cooing in the background.

"There are only so many uses to strength. If you get some endurance and learn how to handle a knife you'll already stand a lot firmer. Besides I'm sure you earned some skills while at home, no?"

The boy blushes. "Sewing, cooking, cleaning, those kind of things. Nothing that's actually useful." Aquila smiles encouragingly at him. At least she thinks that it’s encouraging. She normally only shows this expression to Annie.

"That means you have great dexterity. That will be useful as well. You'll be able to make traps and the like easily. Also your younger brother is exceptionally talented with ropes. I'm sure he had to learn it somewhere." The boy nods reluctantly.

"I taught some of them to him." 

"See, you shouldn't give up so soon. Finnick will be able to help you along greatly with your endurance training." Mags and Finnick look at her with surprise in their eyes. Or at least Mags is. Finnick looks at her as if she has grown a second head. They don’t know about her deal after all. Chances are she wouldn't be doing this if it wasn’t for that. If she hadn't made a deal they would be right to be looking at her like that. She would be wondering what the in the seven seas was wrong with her as well if it wasn’t for the promise of Keshet learning her craft.

She gives his hand another squeeze before letting go of his hand and putting some pastries on her dish. As far as she’s concerned this conversation is dropped. Slowly she cuts into the animal shaped pastry smiling excitedly when strawberry filling leaks out. Only when she has completely devoured it she looks up from her dish again.

They all stare at her, their faces pale and eyes wide. Why are they all looking like that?

It’s early in the evening when Mags suggests they retreat to bed. Nathanael seems to be ready to protest but after some consideration he agrees. Aquila doesn't mind. She woke early after all. Besides she still needs to have a serious talk with Nathanael.

Right now his social graces lack seriously in skill. That could cost him direly if it continued. She isn’t sure yet if she was going to tell him so directly or if she’s going to be subtle about it. She’s leaning towards directly. She’s going to be doing enough subtle maneuvering in the future for her to forgo subtlety now that she still could. It is however advisable to do a bit of manipulation as well. Nathanael would likely be curious about her change in attitude towards him.

She can’t tell him that it’s because his father sold his little brother's soul to her since then he wouldn't be listening to her suggestions anymore. She suspects that he is going to need those suggestions if his attitude is a preview of his attitude for the rest of their time together.

She can’t be too hard on him however. He was just reaped for a certain death sentence together with the girl he disliked. That combined with missing his family could cause some attitude. She understands that. She doubts that Nathanael is dumb either way. Not with a brother like Keshet. If she explains her reasoning he would listen to her.

Vasil was quick to show them to their rooms on the train. It seems she’s lucky. Nathanael's room is directly next to her own. That could wait for now though. She enters her room. It’s a considerably big room especially knowing they are on a train. There’s even a small bathroom. She doesn’t bother with it. She’s not filthy anyway.

Calmly she undresses. She takes comfort in the act. Even when the world is standing on its head in the end the basis acts such as undressing would remain the same. She unties the lacy high heels that had been her mother's wedding shoes with great care. Her mother had always treasured them. Aquila while often thinking with spite about her mother, did love the woman. Now that she’s dead Aquila would treat with care whatever her mother would have wanted her to treat with care. It’s her duty as her child.

She puts the shoes next to the bed. Her dress has already been laid upon it. The combined beauty of the dress and shoes seems too great for the unfortunate event they had been worn to. Every year she has seen children of various ages seen being reaped. Sometimes they would be replaced with another like Annie had been. Other times they would have to face their fate like Nathanael had to.

Aquila had never thought about it. Hadn't spend a second mourning the children. Sometimes she had even laughed at the fools who had volunteered. Never had she stood still about what would happen to the children. Why would she care, The fates of those children would have no impact on her own. What did it matter that she knew them, that she had treated them in her practice? She didn't care for them.

Now she was here herself. She had never expected to end up as one of them . Even now there’s still some disbelief in her mind. What are the odds that Annie would be picked? What are the odds that she cared enough to take her place?

It seems that she’s more humane than she had thought. She had believed that she was above the other humans with their silly emotions and attachments. How ironic that she ended up falling prey to what she thought to not possess. She smiles at the idea. While it is unfortunate she could appreciate the irony.

She opens the closet in the room. There’s another set of clothes and some sleeping robes in there. There are various sizes of the same article. She takes the ones that look like they would fit her. Holding them to her nose, she takes a deep breath. The sterile scent of cleaning regent comes into her nose. Her face scrunches up at the smell. She dislikes this sort of scent. She likes it when her clothes smell like her. She can bear products that have an artificial scent to them like lavender. But she can't bear ones like these that had no scent at all.

She puts them on anyway. It isn't like she has much of a choice. It’s this or sleeping naked. Aquila has never in her entire life slept naked and she isn't about to start now. With that thought she slips into bed. Her internal clock would wake her in a few hours. Her body isn't used to a lot of sleep. Then when she wakes up she would go speak to Nathanael. It is likely that the others would have retreated to their own rooms as well by then.

She allows her body to fall on the bed. She hopes that sleep would come easily tonight. It had come rather quickly the day before. She had been able to sleep for a long time as well. That had been nice. She buries her head in the pillow beneath it. It’s a nice feeling. The pillows are softer than her own but they are also thicker to compensate for this fact. She likes them. Soon her mind drifted off though her body refuses to the same. That’s okay. She’s used to it. It’s better to lay in bed anyway. There weren't any books to read here so anything she could do was a waste of the energy she could preserve by laying down.

What would her parents say if they were to see her now? Would they be disappointed or proud? Would they be scared for her? They would be. They'd be terrified. Is every parent terrified for their child when they entered the Arena? Are there parents who didn't care or who'd encouraged their children to volunteer?  All the parents she has seen seemed downright terrified. Even the parents of the careers seemed to do a double take when their children stood on the podium next to their escort and District partner.

But there are so many things unseen but proven to exist. Like atoms. Like bacteria. Silly little things that were invisible to the eyes but at the same time undeniable. Why did it matter if those kind of parents existed? Because it’s sad. Her parents are dead but they would have cared. Her kind father would have cried and her harsh mother would have raged only to break down later. She knows that, is aware of it. Wouldn't it be sad to know that the people who are supposed to care the most of you didn't care? It sounds sad.

She remembers her own parents vividly. Her mother had a cold, closed face that brightened up the moment she saw her husband. Her father on the other hand had a face that was lightened up every moment of the day with a multitude of expressions. She had always preferred her father. The matriarch of their household had been different. Aquila had disliked her. Her need for perfection and knowledge. Her strong disapproval and corporal punishments. But it had made those moments where her mother's face lightened up with a smile all the more precious. Had made those rare moments of approval so very special. A smile appeared on her own face in remembrance. Aquila didn't know when exactly sleep came to her but it came quick and swift like the flight of a hawk.


	4. Chapter 4

Eyes the color of the sea blink open against the dark of night. It takes a minute for her eyes to adjust. Slowly she stands. Her body feels unsteady in its fresh awakening. It often does. She slips out of her robe. The air feels cold against her naked body.

She opens the closet again. She finds a few undergarments which she’s glad to slip into. With a bit of hesitance she stands before the closet. She has two choices now. She could either slip into her clothes or she could put on the clothes the capitol has provided for her. Naturally she prefers her own clothes but she can see the benefits of using the clothes of the capitol. Wearing those would make her seem more receptive towards the Capitol. Her own however have without a doubt a greater comfort level. They are hers after all.

With a sigh she pulls out a white dress with a subtle floral print on it. It isn’t much different from her own style of dresses. That proves that the clothes had been provided with District 4 in mind. This style of dress is typical to wear to the beach. It hangs loosely around her frame just like she liked it. She heads into the small bathroom. She still looks quite fresh. No need to shower then.

She quickly put a brush through her hair, not wincing when she encountered a few nasty tangles. Her hair structure truly isn’t ideal for a life without tangles. Neither is the length. Her hair just reaches to her hips. Considering that she’s 1m75 that means pretty long hair. She observes her mirror image. She owns a square shaped face with a steady jawline as well as high cheekbones made prominent by her malnutrition. Her eyes are wide-set and almond shaped with heavy lids. The color of them reminds her of the sea. A strange mix between green and blue that left one guessing into which colourfield it belonged. Above them sit straight eyebrows that expressed little most of the time. Her nose is straight with the tip being slightly upturned. She has full lips, the lower one slightly thicker one than the upper which followed a nice cupid bow. The corners of her mouth are slightly upturned which caused together with the straight eyebrows and droopy eyes for an aloof and passive yet pleasant looking face. The long ginger hair that tumbles to her hips in waves finished the look. Most would consider her attractive. All that Aquila sees is another asset to use in her strive for survival. She smiles at her reflection. The smile just looks empty to her. She tries to put a bit more fervor in it. It still fails miserably.

What would make her smile genuinely? The memory of her punching Odair in the face as an eight years old quickly surfaced in her mind. The smile that appears on her face is completely genuine. That would have to do for now. Silently she leaves her room. Swiftly she moves to the room next to hers. No point in lingering where everyone could see her. The door opens quietly. It’s a relief that it didn't creak. She isn't sure how she would take that. Probably with a wince.

She enters the room. It looks a lot like her own if not an exact copy. At least there’s gender equality. There’s a blob laying on the bed. She’s quite certain that blob is Nathanael but one never knows in the dark. She moves forward. That’s Nathanael, alright. How is she supposed to do this. Maybe she should have thought up a plan. But why would she have? It isn’t like she could really screw up here.

"Nathanael."

She mutters softly. No reaction. That’s to be expected. If he slept light enough to be woken up by a mutter he would have been woken up by her creeping into his room. She strengthens her voice.

"Nathanael." She says.

Still no reaction. She frowns. She would have been long awake by now. She puts her hand on his arm. Only to almost fall off the bed when the boy shoots up. Nathanael looks around him wildly. Aquila resists the urge to bare her teeth at him. She’s better than that.

"Nathanael. We have to talk."

Her voice is soft, almost overtaken by the sound the train makes as it moves fast as lightning through the landscape. The boy seems to calm down at the sound of her voice.

"Aquila?"

"Yes."

"What in Poseidon's name are you doing here?"

He sounds agitated yet quiet. Distantly Aquile thinks it interesting how people took cues from other people's voice regarding to appropriate volume.

"As I said, we need to talk." The boy sighs audibly.

"Then talk." She hums.

"Your current behavior is inappropriate if you wish to survive. Your hostility towards both Odair and Gloze will cost you."

Nathanael snorts. She resists the urge to hit him up the head. Rude boy.

"Why should I be polite to them? Gloze is a capitol dog and Finnick doesn't seem to be able to get enough of the Capitol either. Or at least not their woman." Aquila frowns in the dark. Maybe the boy is stupid after all.

"They're both essential for your survival. Gloze will be our guide into a world that is completely new to us. We're completely reliant on him for this. Things that could bring us into the capitol citizen’s grace such as knowing capitol's customs. We are completely dependent on him for that. Odair could be even more crucial than Gloze is. Odair and Mags are our mentors. We are highly reliant on their advice. They've seen countless games and know all the tricks that come with those games. They will be the one to mentor us. If that isn't enough then you always have the fact that they are the ones to collect sponsors for us. Without sponsors we're as good as dead."

She pauses to take a breath.

"What does it matter that Gloze is from the Capitol? He gets paid to help us so we damn better accept any help he's willing to give us. What does it matter that Odair sleeps around? If anything him sleeping around will improve our chances at sponsors. His prowess on the mattress won't in any way change his talents as a mentor. Don't be stupid and let your crush on Annie misguide you. She'll be happy to see you return alive. Even if that return requires the help of Finnick Odair. Yes?" For a few moment Nathanael remains silent. Then he replies with a quiet "yes.". She nods satisfied with her endeavors.

"Good." She rises and makes to leave the room.

"Aquila." Nathanael calls out. She stiffens. Is he going to ask why she was helping him after all?

"Thank you for helping me." Aquila blinks, a foreign warmth shooting along her heart towards her throat where it chokes any words she might have chosen to utter in response. Tightly she presses her lips together. With a nod she leaves the room, closing the door without a sound behind her. Bemused she stares at the wall as she leans against the door she had just shut. That’s the first time someone thanked her so earnestly. People never take her advice in gratitude. They always tell her to move forward and shut up. Even Annie does so. It left her feeling quite strange. She glares at her feet. Silly emotions.

"My, Aquila, I didn't think you were that type." Aquila startles. Just a bit farther stands Odair leaning against the wall. How long has he been standing there? Why is he up anyway?

"What type?" She instead asks.

"The type to sneak into a boy's room in the middle of the night." Aquila looks dryly at him.

"I'm a virgin if that's what you’re insinuating. In all possible ways. Even the mind."

Odair looks skeptical at her admission. She shrugs. It isn’t her duty to assure Odair that she’s a virgin pure. If he has listened for even five second to the rumor mills in District 4 he'd have noticed the distinctive lack of her in it. Aquila has in no way ever been attracted to another person. Be it romantically or sexually. She’s fine with that too. She plans on living her days out alone as one could be with the occasional visits from Annie. Now she expects on dying alone. She isn't going to say planning on dying alone because if she planned on it that was just sad. While her mother might have taught her how idiotic false hope was - her father denying the existence of false hope-, both her parent had drummed into her that giving up without trying was even more idiotic.

"Hmm, maybe not in the mind after all since I do know the process of reproduction and I've helped giving birth a few times. Sometimes the child will kick against the bladder causing it to empty. Then you have all the blood and slime and sometimes the patient will defecate. It's a rather messy affair.” 

Odair’s face was scrunched up his face at the mention of it. She smirks at him.

"If it wasn't for a midnight escapade for what other reason would you visit your partner in the middle in the night?"

"To explain the reproduction process to him," she blinks. He blinks. Had she just joked with him? She rasps her throat.

"To give him some essential advice. He has terrible manners, no?"

Odair gives an understanding nod, stifling his grin.

"I'm just glad you brought it up with him. He seems rather receptive of what you say. If his attitude had continued it could have ended up costing him." She smiled.

"You agree then." He nods again. For a moment silence reigns between the two of them.

"I'll be returning to my room then." She turned around.

"Aquila." Odair calls out to her. Why did people always stop her when she wanted to leave? If they had wanted to say something they should have said it before when she was still willing to hold a conversation. She turns her head to show she was listening.

"You're always free to come to my room to explain the reproduction process." She halts. Did Odair just...? For a moment she hesitates. She turns back fully and cocks her head in question. Could it be that Odair suffers from the typical PTSD after the games? Surely not.

"Odair, could it be you have trouble sleeping?" The man looks surprised by her question. He looks about ready to deny it but Aquila has already taken in the state of his body. His eyes are bloodshot and the skin beneath them dark. His pallor in general is paler than normal for someone with sun kissed skin. Her eyes soften and she sends him a gentle smile. She knows all about the troubles of being unable to sleep.

"Would you like to play a game of cards?" For a moment Odair seems thrown. Then he smiles back.

"Sure, Why not?"

By the time morning came and Vasil stumbles in on the sight of the playing, Aquila had won thirteen games,lost twenty one,been caught cheating seven times and had caught Odair cheating twelve. Vasil seems to have been rather disturbed at sight of them throwing down the cards in a fast flurry. When Mags hobbles in a bit later she smiles at the sight of Finnick staring intensely at the cards in his hands while Aquila's chewing her lips. They ignore the two moving around them concentrating fully on their game.

When coffees are put down in front of them they drink but that’s about the full range of their reactions. It’s probably the reason why the others all startled so badly when they hear Finnick muffle a curse and throw his cards down. Aquila sits before him smiling with delight like the Cheshire cat.

"You cheated." Finnick accuses looking completely convinced of it. Aquila smirks..

"I might have. But can you prove it?"

"Show me your cards."

Finnick demands. Aquila answers gleefully.

"No can do."

Finnick narrows his eyes at her. She simply smiles.

"Fine. You win." He says with a sigh. He reaches towards a sandwich that laid conveniently prepared next to him. He offers her half but she refuses with a snide comment.

"I still have the most wins though. So what did I win?" He asks with a smirk. She answers his smirk with her own.

"You already had your reward." 

Finnick eyebrows rise. "Oh? What would that have been?" 

Her answer is merciless. "A night without fretting." 

He stiffens for a moment. Like a person being poked in a sore spot. Interesting. Then he smiles at her. It’s a bright smile. It takes her a moment to process it.

"I suppose you're right." Aquila snorts. The sound is out of her before she knows it. She shakes her head. Manners. She reaches for the cup of coffee that’s been placed before her. She actually doesn’t like coffee all that much. Its taste is too bitter. She likes sweet things.

Still coffee does the job when it’s needed. She drinks from the cup. It’s still steaming hot. Almost painful really. She ignores it. She enjoys the sensation on her skin but at the bitter taste. It truly isn't her thing. She puts the coffee aside. Maybe there is be some quality tea as well. That has the same positive effects as caffeine without any of the negatives. Not to mention it would be a lot better in taste.

She dutifully ignores the hot chocolate. If she really wants to she can still drink some later. There’s no reason to drink and the hot chocolate and the tea. Besides there’s a really nice selection of teas. Even if she doesn’t recognize some of them. She pours a cup before seating herself back at the table. She wonders if Nathanael is always such a late waker. Probably not. It wouldn't fit with his role in the family. He’s probably late because she disturbed his sleeping patterns.

She sips at her tea. The steam wafts into her face as she swallows. The tea’s nice. A strong taste. Nathanael appears in the doorway. He looks a bit rumpled, chocolate brown hair sticking up at odd angles. That’s to be expected if he has only just awakened. He smiles when he sees her. Aquila blinks. There’s so many people smiling at her lately.

It could be that they are trying to latch onto any form of comfort now that they are moving into distressing territories. Yes, that would make sense. She nods at him. A piece of toast lays before her looking strangely appetizing. She smears some jam onto it. It’s while taking her first bite that Nathanael seats himself beside her.

"Good morning." He says sounding cheerful. What an attitude change. She returns his greeting but then without the overly sounding emotions.

"Did you sleep well?" He seems insistent on making conversation.

"No better than otherwise." She answers curtly. It seems to have done the job. He quiets down after that. She wonders what that strange uncomfortable feeling down her throat is. Is she getting sick? She’s rarely sick though. She reaches for an apple. It’s big and juicy. She bites into it harshly. Vasil chooses that moment to speak up.

"We'll be arriving in the Capitol in an hour or two. Once there you'll see a lot of journalists. Smile and wave but don't answer any questions. We'll be immediately escorting you towards your care-team. They will clean the both of you right up. After that you'll meet your designers."

Aquila hums to show her acknowledgement. Nathanael nods. "Okay, thank you."

It seems he had taken her words to heart. Somehow that relieves her. At least the boy wouldn't be failing in that area. The next two hours are both tense and calm. It’s likely because they are all anticipating the moment they arrived. Vasil in a good way, the rest not so much. Still, no one could begrudge Vasil that he’s excited to be almost home. It just isn't all that great for the rest of them. It would be useless to try and explain that to him though.

Vasil loves the Capitol. It’s easy to see. His eyes shine when he talks about it the same way those of District 4 shine when they talk about the sea. Like they are speaking about a loved one. Even Aquila is guilty of such love. Then again, could one truly be angry with a man for loving his home? Even if said home does terribly cruel things?

Aquila doesn’t really think so. Vasil has been raised with the Hunger Games. So had the districts been but as opposed to them Vasil has always been on the safe side. He wouldn't see the harm in it. Generally any contact between the Districts and Capitol is forbidden. It assures that the Capitol's citizen don’t see them as humans. Only as a vague idea of a human. The cultural differences would only strengthen such an effect. It can’t be helped. Humanity would never act to prevent something that was an abstract idea to them at best. This is why the rich seldom help the poor. This is why those with enough food never give food away. It is sad, she supposes but it is the way humans are. There’s no changing that.

When they arrive in the Capitol they’re told to wait a few minutes before being allowed to leave.

Those minutes seem even longer than the two hours had seemed.

Vasil waves them along when they are finally allowed to leave the train. Just like he had warned them before there are a lot of journalists and cameras. Aquila forces a cool smile on her face but doesn't bother waving. She’s only prepared to go so far after all. Nathanael’s taking the attention in with relish. There’s a big smile on his face and he’s waving. If his other hand wasn’t balled next to his side she might even have believed he meant it. They are hastily led along to a limousine. The pair is then quickly pushed in by their mentors who slide into the car as well. The interior’s dark. 

Aquila hums. "So this is a car." 

Nathanael offers a "huh" sound. Finnick grins at them.

"While not your typical car this is in fact a car." Mags nods to his words with a smile

Aquila shakes her head. She didn’t need the confirmation.

"Are you excited for meeting your stylists and prep team?" Vasil aks. Aquila shoots him a dry look. Did they look excited? She certainly doesn’t think so.

The rest of the drive is silent. When they finally reach their location they are immediately pushed into the hands of some utterly strange looking people. The group scatters. Nathanael is dragged one direction and Aquila the other. While Mags and Finnick disappear along the way, the ginger resists the urge to lash out. She isn't a doll to be pulled around however the owner wishes. Soon she’s pushed into a chair. Two men and a small girl stand over her. Another woman sits in the corner watching the proceedings.

"What do you think, Magnolia? Do we need to do anything special in preparation. I think green skin would clash lovely with that hair of hers." Says the guy with the blue spiked hair. Aquila’s pretty sure you aren't allowed to do that sort of changes before one’s eighteen years of age. Before she can point it out the small girl speaks up loudly.

"Don't be an idiot, She's got a lovely skin texture. We'd ruin it if we changed the color."

Aquila is pretty sure the girl knows exactly what she’s talking about for her own skin is a soft lilac color.

"Maybe we should just leave her body and face alone. She's got a pretty nice face and body. There's enough muscle to give a lean slender build. Her complexion is a bit pale so we should probably use some blush and also some foundation to hide those dark circles. " The last guy speaks up. He looks relatively normal compared to the others. He only has some golden eyeliner beneath his eyes. His skin color is darker then Aquila is used to but it hasn’t been modified.

"So what shall it be, Magnolia?" Spoke the first guy again. 


End file.
